The present invention relates to an embroidery data processing device for inputting and editing embroidery data.
Conventionally, embroidery data processing devices for inputting and processing embroidery data have been known. Generally, an embroidery data processing device is constituted such that a hard disk drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display and the like are connected to a general-use personal computer. In a hard disk, character-shaped embroidery data which is called as an embroidery font is stored in relation to character codes of a character code system (e.g., shifted JIS code, Unicode, ASCII or the like). When a user inputs letters through the keyboard, the embroidery font corresponding to the input letters is read out from the hard disk, and stored in a memory of the personal computer system. By placing thus retrieved plurality of character-shaped embroidery data along a straight or curved line, the embroidery data having the character shape is arranged.
In the conventional system as described above, the character-shaped embroidery data is generally used for embroidering an initial or the like on a jacket, shirt or the like. It takes considerable time to develop the character-shaped embroidery data. Therefore, the character-shaped embroidery data installed in the embroidery data processing system as described above is limited to embroidery data of alphanumerical characters and a limited number of symbols. Thus, it sometimes happens that a character or a symbol which the user intends to embroider may not be included in the character-shaped embroidery data, and in such a case, the user cannot perform embroidering of the character or the symbol. Further, even if the intended character is included in the installed embroidery data, only the predetermined shape of the character is available, and the user has no choice but has to use the installed embroidery font.